


Never Too Old For Sweets

by 2Dsheep



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-30 00:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20805176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2Dsheep/pseuds/2Dsheep
Summary: Erwin and Levi have known each other for years. That doesn't mean there isn't anything new they can learn about one another.(Possibly the fluffiest piece I've ever written.)





	Never Too Old For Sweets

“How old are you now, Erwin?”

They’re the first words out of either of them for the few hours they’ve been sat there, Levi on the office sofa and Erwin at his desk. The day has been long and it’s far from over, though it won’t be too long before they’ll have to light the candles. 

“I can’t remember,” Erwin mutters, his eyes not leaving the paper in front of him. “It’s hardly something I consider important.” He’ll have to redo this entire funding request. The presenting committee members were changed at the eleventh hour, and Erwin knows that at least three those now making the final decision will vehemently disapprove of the angle at which he’s requesting funding. It’s impossible to please every one, to tick all of their boxes, but he must make sure he’s thought of everything. 

“I’m turning 34 this year,” Levi says, to which Erwin gives a small hum. 

After a moment of consideration, he allows himself a small respite and indulges his Captain, and admittedly, his own curiosity. “I wouldn’t take you as the type to count off your years.” 

Erwin catches Levi give a thin smile before he turns his face away, seeming to ignore the paperwork laid out in front of him and choosing instead to stare into the fireplace. It’s still empty and will be for another two months at least, but Erwin has no doubt that Levi would have started lighting it weeks ago if he could. It’s not winter yet, but even in the height of summer this office will have that lingering touch of cold, the sun never quite reaching the windows on this side of the building. There have been times when Erwin has been tempted to allow Levi to light the fire before winter settles in, but he has to remind himself that the rules are there for a reason and it would be entirely unprofessional to make exceptions.

“In the underground, every birthday’s a milestone.” Levi says, face stiff as if he were trying all he could to remove any show of emotion. “Too many don’t even make it to double digits. I can’t help remember, count off how old I am.

“And my mum - ”

Levi pauses and the silence that had accompanied them for hours before feels uncomfortable all of a sudden. Erwin puts down his pen but he doesn’t say anything to break the quiet, aware that it isn’t necessary, he simply knows that his attention belongs wholly to Levi from then on.

“We’d eat pastries,” Levi says after a few long seconds, and after a few more he turns where he sits, looking at Erwin before he continues. “She’d make them. It wasn’t easy getting the ingredients, but she’d always manage it. And I swear, they were so good you could convince yourself they came from a bakery in Sina.”

Erwin recognises this for what it is; Levi is offering up a rare privilege, opening a window to his past. It’s only a small crack that Levi guides him to, but for most people that window is sealed up and barricaded, a few thick, dark curtains thrown over for good measure. Erwin can’t work out where this is coming from, but he knows that Levi doesn’t tell this sort of story in search of pity, it’s a reward of intimacy given in one of the few ways Levi knows how. 

Deciding his work can wait, Erwin stands and stretches, wincing as one or two joints crack as he does so, and sits in the armchair across from Levi. The change in position is pleasant enough in itself, he probably needed a break more than a few hours ago, but it’s when he looks over at Levi, their eyes just missing one another, Erwin realises just how much he longs for opportunities like this, as if it’s something he denies from himself until confronted with the fact. Despite them sharing the office more often than not these days, the two of them taking the time to talk with one another outside of the formalities of work isn’t such a regular occurrence.

Levi doesn’t look back at him until Erwin speaks. His grey eyes are sharp, yet his expression settles soft on his face, and Erwin can’t help but wonder who else knows that Levi can look like that. There’s a small, selfish part of him that hopes he alone is lucky enough to have seen it. 

“You know I’m awfully fond of pastries.” 

It’s true, and he knows that Levi knows. In fact, it’s a surprise for him that Levi eats pastries or ever did considering the scolding he gave to Erwin a few months ago when he returned to his office with a whole bag of pastries for himself. He would have offered to share but Levi simply tutted and grumbled something about his weight before walking out the door. 

Erwin hasn’t seen Levi eat anything other than the food prepared by the Scouting Legion cooks in the canteen or whatever rations they are supplied with on their missions, and he’s always assumed that food is nothing more than a necessity for Levi, mere fuel as a means of survival. 

“What kind would she make, sweet, savoury?” Erwin asks with genuine interest, all while silently pleading his stomach to not growl while his mind, and not his stomach, is filled with freshly baked good. 

Levi considers him for a moment before answering. 

“Always sweet.” He sits up slightly from where he’d been slouching against the back of the chair. “Sugar’s like gold down there. But my mum was always determined to make my birthday something special.” 

Try as he might, Erwin can’t think of a single occasion where Levi has spoken with such passion, such joy dancing around his words. The thought that he could listen to Levi talk for hours like this comes so sudden that Erwin doesn’t know what to do with it. He decides to swallow it down, and he pours himself a glass of water and takes a big gulp for good measure. 

“Fruit was even more difficult to get hold of than sugar,” Levi continues. “But one year, my mum managed to get some peaches and she made a tart with them.”

“How was it?”

“It was the best.” Levi states, so sure. Erwin is sure that Levi can still taste it to this day, the man appearing to be practically salivating just at the thought. Sure enough, Levi licks his lips, though only at the corner of his mouth as if he trying to be discreet about it. “I’ve never been able to find anything like it since.” 

“There’s nothing quite like handmade goods given by someone who loves you.” 

Erwin’s comment is met with silence. If it weren’t for Levi’s eyes widening ever so slightly, Erwin would think that time had stopped still, but it can’t have lasted more than a second before Levi looks away, possibly hoping that Erwin wouldn’t notice. But he does notice. Not that Erwin is able to get a read on him. In all his life, Erwin’s never had difficulty reading a person quite like he has with Levi. He’s like a picture book in which all the writing is in scribbles, granting nothing more than image before you. Getting Levi to translate those scribbles has been like drawing blood from a stone, and to this day Erwin struggles to make sense of any of it. Some days he finds himself wondering if Levi even considers him a friend. 

“It clearly wasn’t an effort made in vain,” Erwin says, attempting to guide the conversation back on track, thinking it would be such a shame to have it fall apart so quickly. “It’s a fond memory for you, even now.” 

Levi smiles, his gaze lost to reminiscence. “Yeah.” 

And before be can shake away the notion, Erwin becomes a little lost too, his attention entirely focused on just how charming Levi can be with such a look of content. If only they lead lives in which Levi could wear it more often. 

“So you really can’t remember how old you are?” Levi says, pulling Erwin from his thoughts, not a moment too soon. “You must be older than I thought.” 

Though it’s clear he’s trying to hide it, Erwin doesn’t fail to notice Levi’s lip twitch at the corner, amused at his own teasing, no doubt building up to something.

“It’s a shame that we’ll lose the commander to senility so soon.”

And there is it. Erwin smiles, almost laughs as he tries to give Levi a look of disapproval. Not that Levi would pay any notice even if they were both serious. It’s on that thought he can’t hold it in, and he chuckles under his breath. 

“Well, I was born in 809 so that would make me, oh 36 going on 37.” 

Erwin of course knew he was making his way into the late half of his thirties, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d thought of the actual number. He has his own memories of childhood birthdays, though the years have painted them foggy, feelings of warmth and comfort coming through stronger than any images he attempts to conjure. 

“Where do the years go?”

Levi picks up his tea cup, swirling what’s left inside. “It’s soon, isn’t it?” The tea must have long gone cold, but Levi brings the cup to his mouth and drinks it anyway, slowly, all while not making eye contact with Erwin. 

“My birthday?” 

Levi only hums in response, as if he couldn’t care less about the answer despite being the one to ask. He is certainly in a strange mood today. Just as he rarely gives anything of himself, he just as seldom asks as much of other people.

“That’s right,” Erwin says, unable to keep his sense of caution behind his lips. “On the 14th.” 

Levi hums again, and Erwin doesn’t think he’s noticed Levi do it so much before. It’s like a habit he’s picked up but hasn’t quite got the hang of yet. Before Erwin can make a comment though, Levi presses on. “You eat pastries every now and again, don’t you?”

“You know I do,” Erwin answers with a chuckle. “You’ve told me off for it more than once.”

“Well, yeah. Having a pastry is one thing, buying half the bakery and eating it in an afternoon is another. One day you won’t be able to fasten up your manoeuvre gear, and what’ll you do then, huh?”

Levi’s face remains serious, and Erwin is sure that Levi had said it in all seriousness too, but Erwin can’t help but laugh some more. 

“So what’s your favourite pastry?” Levi asks, glowering at Erwin from beneath scrunched eyebrows. 

“Why are you asking?”

Levi huffs, splutters before he can bark out a response. “Damnit Erwin, it’s just conversation.” 

Erwin thinks he spots a subtle blush bloom across Levi’s cheeks, but before he can spare even a second to look, Levi rises to his feet and takes strong strides towards the door. 

“It’s not something you gotta read into.” 

Erwin assumes Levi will storm out of the door on that note, shutting it not at all lightly behind him. It’s not an unusual routine, all sorts of things are able to bring about this sort of reaction from Levi, but he lingers a step away from the door, his hand resting on the handle. Erwin thinks Levi might say something, and it takes him an awkward few moments for him to realise that Levi is waiting for an answer; Erwin is so used to Levi making demands, not waiting with such hesitation for the answer to come to him.

There really is something odd about Levi today, and Erwin wishes he’d made more effort to just listen. It’s an easy choice to at least give Levi this. 

“I think I’d have to say the good old apple tart is my favourite.”

Levi doesn’t look back, simply gives a quick nod of the head before he pulls the door open and walks through, closing it behind him - without slamming it.


End file.
